Arians to Cardinals: ‘If you’re scared, don’t get on the plane’

By Arizona Sports | December 24, 2013 at 12:15 amUPDATED: December 24, 2013 at 12:53 am

LISTEN: Bruce Arians, Cardinals head coach

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Arizona Cardinals coach Bruce Arians had a simple message for his team heading into Sunday’s game at the Seattle Seahawks.

Although the Cardinals are in the playoff race, they hadn’t beaten either of the NFC West’s top two teams — Seattle and San Francisco — since the opening game of the 2012 season, and hadn’t beaten either on the road since Oct. 18, 2009.

“Forget the playoffs, forget everything else,” Arians told Arizona Sports 620’s Bickley and Marotta Monday. “If we ever want to win this division again, we have to match their intensity. They’re both physical, bully-type football teams. The only way to handle that is to be the same thing.

“You’re either going to kick someone’s butt or you’re going to get your butt kicked. If you’re scared, don’t get on the plane.”

Consider the message received.

The Cardinals’ defense physically abused Seattle en route to a 17-10 win despite four turnovers from Arizona’s offense. The Cardinals held Seattle to just 192 total yards while limiting dual-threat quarterback Russell Wilson to 32 yards on two carries and sacking him four times.

Seattle gained just four total yards in the second quarter, didn’t gain a single yard on five of their 13 drives and gained less than 10 yards on four others.

“You love winning at home,” Arians said. “But to go to Seattle … you go to some of the great venues that are tough on the road and win in that fashion — it’s why you play the game.”